How to Grow Plants in Wine Barrels (Plus 10 Plants to Try)

Wine barrels are a versatile vessel for any garden. Traditionally used to age wine and whiskey, these wooden barrels can also be easily transformed into a rustic planter perfect for growing flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and other plants.

Are you interested in adding wine barrel planters as a beautiful garden feature? Read on to learn how to grow plants in wine barrels and which plants are best will thrive best for wine barrels.

Benefits of Growing Plants in Wine Barrels

There are several advantages to growing both edible and ornamental plants in wine barrels.

• Due to their large size and depth, wine barrels provide ample room for deep-rooted plants and can fit a wide variety of plants.

• Wine barrel planters are ideal for small yards and patios and add a rustic character to any outdoor space.

• You can control the environment in the wine barrel, allowing you to amend the soil based on plants' specific requirements.

• Because wine barrels have a certain lifespan, they are technically a waste product of the wine and spirits industries. Giving them a second life and repurposing them as planters for your garden is a sustainable choice that helps reduce waste.
  

• Unlike garden beds, you don't have to assemble wine barrels to start growing plants in them.
  

• Wine barrels are self-contained and protect whatever is planted in them from moles, voles, gophers, and other pests.

• When empty, wine barrels are fairly light and portable, making it easier to relocate them if you move.
  

Where to Buy Wine Barrels for Gardening

It's easier to find wine barrels to grow plants in than you might think. If you live in a region with wineries or distilleries, you can easily source them from local plant nurseries, on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, or by directly contacting a winery or distillery.

Big box retailers like Tractor Supply, Home Depot, and Lowe's also carry wine barrels in the garden departments.

How to Grow Plants in Wine Barrels

1. Clean barrels thoroughly. Before you plant anything in the wine barrels, it's important you thoroughly clean it. If purchased directly from a winery or distillery, it will likely still have a strong aroma and residue leftover from the fermentation process. Scrub the inside with table salt and rinse well.

2. Add drainage holes. Using a drill and large drill bit (half an inch or three-quarters of an inch), add six to nine drainage holes at the bottom of the barrel. Wine barrels are made to hold liquid without leaking, so it's incredibly important to add holes so plants don't drown or suffer from root rot. You can add landscape fabric at the bottom if you'd like but it isn't necessary.

3. Place the barrel planter in its permanent location. Wine barrels are heavy once filled with soil and plants, so make sure to move it to the spot where you want it to be before moving forward. If you want to be able to move the wine barrels, install wheels on the bottom to roll them around as necessary.

4. Elevate wine barrel planters. To prevent the bottom from rotting, slightly elevate your wine barrel planter off the ground on bricks or pavers. Do not place it directly on soil.

5. Fill wine barrel with soil. Add well-draining potting soil to your new wine barrel planter. Depending on the size of the barrel, you will need between two to three bags of soil per barrel.

6. Add plants to wine barrel planter. Follow the planting guidelines for your chosen plants and top with mulch to reduce weeds (optional).
   

10 Best Plants for Wine Barrels

Agave

A wooden wine barrel is an ideal container for agave, as the wood helps this sun-loving succulent retain warmth and moisture better than a plastic container or ground soil.

Basil

Sun-loving herbs like basil thrive in containers—including wine barrels.

Chrysanthemum

Also called mums, chrysanthemums are a perennial plant that are sensitive to frost. Planting these colorful fall flowers in wine barrel planters makes them easier to maneuver and protect from cold temperatures than if planted in the ground.

Dwarf Fruit Trees

Wine barrels are a great vessel for growing dwarf fruit trees. Try planting citrus, figs, and other dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties, which have smaller root systems and a more compact growth habit.

Ferns

The textured green leaves of ferns look striking when they unfurl over the side of a wooden wine barrel.

Hydrangeas

When grown as a container plant, a mature hydrangea requires a large, heavy container to thrive, making a wine barrel an ideal vessel.

Lettuce

If you have a difficult time protecting the lettuce growing in your garden beds from pests like slugs, try elevating them by planting them in wine barrels, which the slugs have a harder time climbing.

Mint

Confining plants in a wine barrel is a smart way to grow invasive plants like mint, which you never want to plant in the ground because it spreads rapidly.

Potatoes

Root vegetables that required ample soil—such as potatoes—flourish in deep wine barrels.

Turmeric

The delicate rhizomes of turmeric thrive in wine barrels, which makes them easy to harvest—just tip it over and gently pull them out.

Read Next: Six Great Containers for Growing Vegetables

Read the original article on The Spruce.